Course Syllabus
CI5585 – 375
Teacher Leadership and School Improvement
Three Semester Hours
Section 375 – Thursdays, 5:00 – 7:40 p.m. (Wilkesboro Community College)
Professor:
Office:
Dr. Robert Heath
316A Duncan Hall
Email:
Telephone:
heathrr@appstate.edu
828-262-6062 (office)
828-773-0471 (cell)
Office Hours: Before or following class by appointment. Other times arranged as needed.
COURSE RATIONALE
For many decades, instructional leadership in schools has been considered the job of the principal, as
have been initiating and carrying out school improvements, implementing curricular improvements,
worrying about students’ performance on test scores and so forth.
Today, we hear and read much about teacher leadership, distributive leadership, collaboration, and
learning communities - all couched in a framework of school reform. We also read and hear much about
school accountability, and we experience tremendous pressure to cause students to perform according to
criteria applied by nebulous state and national expectations. Now the NC Professional Teaching
Standards require that teachers be leaders in and out of the classroom.
Even though most enlightened leaders would like to move to decentralized leadership such as sitebased management, these same leaders fear being labeled as “failures” should their students fail to meet
standardized testing criteria. The outshoot is that districts often dictate a more authoritarian style of
school leadership which they hope will force an acceptable level of achievement from students. This
lockstep mentality can only have limited success, as true, systemic, continuous improvements only
happen when all stakeholders are working toward common goals as partners.
In an environment in which systemic, continuous improvement is a primary goal, teachers assume
increasingly more active and responsible roles in instructional and curricular leadership, school
governance and the establishment of school wide learning communities. In schools in which this is not a
primary goal, teachers must still actively step forward to provide leadership in these areas.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Teacher Leadership and School Improvement will place teachers in position to understand the
critical role they play in creating a climate of continuous, systemic improvement in schools through the
establishment of professional learning communities and the concurrent development of teacher
leadership. Participants will gain understanding of how the relationships among the development of
learning communities, teacher leadership, school effectiveness, and site-based accountability can
positively improve schools. Knowledge gained in the university classroom will be applied in site-based
activities, including participant-observer studies, action research, problem-based learning activities, case
studies, and quantitative and qualitative research studies. Students will develop products representing
their growth in understanding of teacher leadership and school improvement.
STANDARDS
NC Professional Teaching Standards
Standard 1: Teachers demonstrate leadership
North Carolina Masters Standards
1
Standard 3: Research
The candidate uses research to examine and improve instructional effectiveness and student achievement.
Standard 5: Professional Development and Leadership
The candidate engages in continued professional development and provides leadership at the classroom,
school, and community levels, and within the profession.
RCOE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The Reich College of Education Conceptual Framework provides a broad description of how we
believe people learn and develop, and how teaching, and other helping oriented interactions should occur.
We envision graduates of our programs as thoughtful professionals, characterized by a love of learning
(life long learners) and the capacity to adapt to change. The Conceptual Framework forms the basis for
decisions about curriculum development, practices, and service while also offering a guide for
interactions among faculty, students, and staff. The Framework is based on socio-cultural tenets and is
anchored in the historical foundations of American education. The five principles that together constitute
the RCOE Conceptual Framework include the following:
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Learning occurs through participation in a community of practice;
Knowledge is socially constructed and learning is social in nature in a community of practice;
Learners proceed through stages of development from novice to expert under the guidance of
more experienced and knowledgeable mentors in the community of practice;
An identifiable knowledge base that is both general in nature and also specific to specialties
emerges from the community of practice;
All educators and human service professionals develop a set of dispositions reflecting attitudes,
beliefs, and values common to the community of practice.
In this course we will learn about, and practice these principles. Through readings, common activities,
and class discussions we will develop our own community of practice. See the RCOE website for a more
lengthy description.
REQUIRED TEXT
Barth, R. S. (2004). Learning by heart. San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1. Course Readings and Assignments: You will be responsible for all readings and assignments as listed
on the syllabus and/or assigned in class. This class is highly dependent on participant interaction
regarding your knowledge, skills and understandings; therefore, your preparation for class is
critical.
2. Classroom Leadership: As students involved in a professional learning community, you are expected
to share in the leadership of class discussion. Teacher leadership is demonstrated in a variety of
ways. Good leadership isn’t necessarily leading a discussion, or guiding a group through a change.
Much leadership is demonstrated in more subtle ways, such as improving curriculum, or providing
positive, productive insight in meetings. Good leaders know when to listen as well as when to speak.
The success of your leadership will be reflected in your ability to critically reflect on your material,
ask and address thought-provoking questions, and in your ability to engage class members in
reflection upon the material presented. NOTE: this is not about who gets to be in charge of a group
3.
Projects, Research and Article Reflections:
2
A. You will write four article reflections based on articles you find on specific topics related to
your Teacher Leadership Study and School Improvement Project. These are due on specific
dates, and will be the basis of many of our class discussions.
B. You will conduct a Teacher Leadership Study and Interview. This is a research paper in
which you will explore the literature on teacher leadership, and its impact on professional
learning communities and/or staff development and/or student learning and/or school
improvement. A primary source of information for this paper will be your Teacher Leader
Interview. You will use much of the information from this study in your School Improvement
Project.
The Teacher Leader Interview portion of the paper will consist of an interview with a
recognized teacher leader in a school. This will be an in-person interview (no phone or email
interviews), utilizing a predetermined set of question you will develop, and must be conducted
with a full-time classroom teacher. Information from this interview will be one source you will
use in your Teacher Leadership Study. You will conduct a 10-minute presentation of your
findings to the class.
C. You will be required to participate in a group School Improvement Project, which will
involve your engagement as teacher leaders in a school by developing a plan that addresses a
critical need. You will submit a written School Improvement Project plan and reflection, and will
present it to your peers in the class. The presentation will be approximately 30 minutes in length.
This is your culminating activity, and you are encouraged to invite your principal and other
significant school personnel to the presentation. All prior work in the class contributes to this
project.
All Papers will be double spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman (or comparable) font and written
and cited using correct APA format. Papers will have a cover page with the course name,
student’s name, the name of the project, and be stapled. Pages will be numbered. Do not
place sheets in plastic protectors, folders or notebooks, with the exception of the SIP,
which is to be in a 3-ring binder.
GRADING
Points
Articles/Reflections 4 @ 50 pts. Each =
Teacher Leadership Study and Interview
School Improvement Project
Class participation, Attendance
TOTAL
200 pts.
200 pts.
300 pts.
50 pts.
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CF
COURSE EXPECTATIONS
Points
709 – 750
672 – 708
649 – 671
627 – 648
604 – 626
574 – 603
551 – 573
521 – 550
0 – 520
Percent
95 – 100
90 – 94
87 – 89
84 – 87
81 – 83
77 – 80
74 – 76
70 – 73
below 70
Responsibility
Individual
Individual
Group/Team
Individual
750 points
Due Date
1/28, 2/4, 11, 3/25
3/4
4/22
3
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Regular attendance is mandatory and will be taken into consideration for your final grade.
Excessive unexcused absences will result in the lowering of a grade. Please notify the instructor
prior to an absence.
Masters at Education writing is expected to be at a high level of expertise, including effective and
appropriate use of research, grammar, sentence structure and spelling. If you struggle in writing,
it is important that you seek outside assistance on your own, to ensure that your grades reflect
your efforts in the manner you want.
You will be expected to cite all references using American Psychological Association (APA)
format. You will have a copy of a Power Point on APA style, which will have samples of most
citations you will need. Other resources for this format can be found at http://citationcenter.net
and http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/within/apa.html . Lack of, or improper use of
APA will be negatively reflected in your grades.
Academic honesty and integrity are expected of all students. Any work that you or your team
submit must be your own work. Any ideas, information, approaches, or formats that you use
based on the work of others must be acknowledged by citing the appropriate sources.
All assignments must be submitted on time in order to be awarded the maximum number of
points. All assignments must be word-processed and spell checked. No assignments are to be in
plastic (or other) sheet protectors, folders or notebooks unless otherwise noted. All work is to be
double spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman (or comparable) font with pages numbered. All work is
to have a cover sheet citing the name of the course, the name of the project, the date, and your
name.
Papers with a grade lower than “A” may be rewritten. See the professor for specific information
regarding any paper you wish to rewrite.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
The Office of Extension and Distance Education at Appalachian State University post cancellations for
evening courses due to inclement weather and other emergencies. It is helpful to check this website
weekly before class at http://www.ext-dl.appstate.edu/cancellations.html. In addition, you may want
to check the website for the community college. Whenever courses have been cancelled for the
community college, our class will not meet.
Spring, 2010
4
CLASS SCHEDULE, ASSIGNMENTS
Wk
1
Date
1/14
Topic
Introductions
Course Overview, Syllabus,
Descriptions of Assignments
Assignments Due/Discussion Topics
Purchase Textbooks
What is Teacher Leadership?
What is School Improvement?
2
1/21
3
1/28
APA Introduction
Schools as Systems
Building Leadership Capacity
Organize Project Teams
The Change Process
4
2/4
-Barth: Forward, Introduction
Chap. 1 (Thinking Otherwise),
Chap. 2 (Culture in Question)
Chap. 13 (Some Questions)
-Barth: - Chap. 3 (Community of Learners)
Chap. 4 (Information Rich…)
-Power Point
-Article 1 Due: School improvement and the
change process
-Barth: Chap. 5 (Exploration)
-PowerPoint
5
6
7
2/11
2/18
Characteristics of a
Professional Culture in Schools
Work on Teacher Leader
Interview Questions
Writing Research Seminar
Building a Community of
Learners
 Adult Learners
 Professional
Development
Principles of Effective
Leadership
2/25
Understanding the Effective
Uses of Power, Authority, and
Control
Teachers as Leaders
Professional Learning
Communities
8
3/4
9
10
3/11
3/18
Teacher Leadership Study
and Interview presentations
Spring Break
Teacher Leadership and
School-based Accountability.
Team discussion of School
Improvement Projects.
-Article 2 Due: Learning Communities
-Barth: Chap. 6 (Craft Knowledge)
Chap. 7 (Reflection)
Chap. 8 (Teacher Leadership)
-Article 3 Due: Empowering Teachers
Barth: Chap. 9 (Impediments and Opportunities)
Chap. 10 (Teachers and Principals)
-Functions of leadership
-Reframing organizations (Discussion)
-Barth: Chap. 12 (Conditions for Learning
NOTE: When reading this Chap., read for you as
a teacher leader, NOT as though you are the
principal)
Chap. 13 (Questions, again)
Chap. 14 (Risk)
-Teacher Leadership Study and Interview
Presentations/papers due
Teacher Leadership Presentations (as needed)
-Barth: Chap. 15 (Coming to a Vision)
Review Barth, Ch. 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10
5
11
3/25
Synthesizing and Applying the
Characteristics of High
Performing Schools
12
4/1
13
4/8
Teaching and Leading for
Equity and Social Justice
Roles and Responsibilities for
Teacher Leaders in Schools
Continuous School
Improvement
 Concepts
 Data Driven School
Reform
What’s Worth Fighting For?
Work in teams on projects.
14
4/15
15
4/22
No whole class meeting; work
in teams on projects
School Improvement
Presentations
• Present outcomes, lessons
learned from your SIP.
• Discussion about SIP:
results, challenges and
successes.
Course Closure
Bring data to be used in your School
Improvement Project to this class. Be prepared
to discuss what you are proposing to do based on
the data.
Article 4 Due: Creating High Performing
Schools
-Site-based school improvement teams
-Community involvement and participation
-Use/misuse of data
Building shared beliefs
Project workday
School Improvement Project Due
Bring to class:
 Copy of your plan
 SIP PowerPoint presentation
6